Last week five separate candidates were rejected for rambling. Today, we’ll explore the ramble.

Rambling is not to be confused with fillabustering. “Fillabustering” (worse than the ramble) is the act of talking nonstophopingthatthequestionaskerwillnotnoticeandcannotdecideifheshouldcutyouoff. Whew. That is the fillabusterer. Believe me, Filla, you are not getting through my team. We have a button we push when you are on the scene.

No, we’re talking “rambling”. Now, in simple terms, “rambling” usually refers to answering something less succinctly than possible — my office manager likes to yell “TWITTER SPEAK PEOPLE!!! 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS!!” — and while I agree that I’d love it if everyone could speak that succinctly (or perhaps in Haiku?), “rambling” is far worse than this.

Offending candidate ramblers just plain old fail to answer the question. When asked how they would set up a DNS, they may talk about the first time they learned what a DNS is. When asked for an example of a project of which the candidate was particularly proud, the rambler has 3 examples — and never quite explains why she felt pride.

Solution: Answer the Question

(The lawyer in me requires that I offer this disclaimer: Warning, this blog post was written by a lawyer. You know, the person who tells you before your deposition to answer”yes/no” questions with “yes” or “no”? Right. That’s me.) Seriously. Answer the question you were asked. Right before you start answering an interview question, take a second, think about what you were asked, and make sure you answer THAT. It’s an art, and it’s not comfortable for everyone. But, you may not have been asked what you hoped you were asked. You may not be asked what you think you should be asked. You were asked a question that the interviewer deemed relevant, answerable, and worthy.

Watch for body language.

The rambler misses the physical cues of his interviewer(s).  Try watching body language yourself. Are people squirming uncomfortably? Is your panel looking at his list of questions and then at you, then at the list, then at you? Is your panel checking their watches? Most ramblers could stop themselves if only they were observing their interviewers subtle and not-so-subtle behaviors.

When caught:

Ever catch yourself babbling? I think each of us has rambled on nervously at some point or the other. Catch yourself, and fix it — even if you have to do it mid-sentence. A trick that works for many is to say “I am rambling. I apologize. Going back to my answer, let me just say ‘yes, I did perform a lobotomy during my residency. — I get a bit carried away on that topic.”

Practice makes Perfect.

Consider practicing your interview answers. Tell your friend or family members the expected questions. Practice your answers. Ask them to listen and tell you if you answered the question. Ask them to count the times you say “another thing is”. Record the session, and play back the questions. Were you asked “how would you”, and did you answer with a “first, I would…?” If not, you likely rambled.

Try Tweeting.

With more full disclosure, I should admit that I do not tweet. But, I also don’t ramble. (Remember, I’m the blunt New Yorker.) So, why not try tweeting? How can some 100s of millions of people get their points across in 140 characters, while you are struggling with 1400 words? Try it. At worst, it makes you a follower. At best, you curb your ramble habit. Oh, and please tell us in 140 characters or less how you did on your journey to cure yourself of your rambling ways. We’d love to hear from you – if you keep it short!

Congratulations to Marilyn for being a featured member on Ladies Who Launch!

Ladies Who Launch is a new media company that provide resources and connections for women entrepreneurs around the world.  They also provide special opportunities, exposure to business, and access to unlimited connections.

To learn more about Ladies Who Launch visit their Facebook page and take a look at Marilyn’s profile on Ladies Who Launch as well!

“What practice?” you ask. Payola. Bribery. Under-the-table-payments.  Managers and directors at large enterprises who are in some way paid cash for each resource they bring on board. The contingent worker or his agency pays the manager some amount of money, per hour or per deal.

“They” say it is rampant in Silicon Valley. “They” have told us that it’s why we can’t break in to certain companies (but – they’d be happy to find us a willing manager who will change all of that for us.)  They are part of the ecosystem, or have friends who are. A company that pays $150 and a worker who makes $50, with an agency’s mark up, and two to three managers, all sharing the delta. These purchasing agents are buying staffing services from their buddies at inflated prices and receiving a kickback for their trouble. So what’s the harm? The company pays more than it should, the worker makes less than he should, and I can’t get a foot in the door to do business where this fraud exists.

How long has this been going on in the Valley? It appears to have started a decade ago following the .com massacre. What may have started as a prospect accepting a dinner or gift basket from a sales rep is a far cry from the practice of secretly receiving a lucrative financial payout.  The former exists where compliance is required with company policies and actual laws. The latter is just plain Soprano-style bribery and it occurs as remuneration for the performance of an act – one that is inconsistent with what that manager (given some vendor-selection discretion) is supposed to be doing. This is the crooked stuff where a lot of money changes hands behind the scenes and nothing prevents it if you have two willing players. A lot of recruiters have been “enticed” by internal hiring managers who want a piece of the action. It starts out with some sly remark about “Wow, I have made you a lot of money this month. Seems you owe me a champagne dinner and some 49ers tickets (nudge, nudge).” From there, who knows? I can only guess at the various ways in which these payouts occur. But purposefully steering a contractor hire through one “friendly” agency and getting a cash payout for undermining the interests of one’s own employer is as shady as outright embezzlement.

Can we curtail this unethical behavior? Sure, there’s always termination of the hiring manager by his company and the filing of theft and fraud charges. It is for this reason that many companies and governmental agencies have come up with rules to guide employees in the treacherous terrain of accepting gifts and amenities. For those that prefer the payoff rather than adhere to the rules, how many get caught? What can I do about it? No one wants to name names.

If you’re a hiring manager, play fair. If you’re a company policy decision maker, document the rules and punish those who break them by making greedy deals that cost the company. If you’re a staffing agency soliciting bribes, I hope it catches up with you. You wouldn’t be the first to get slammed for it upon discovery, and you won’t be the last.

We can review legalities, technical implications, and talk about limited licenses, rights to use, etc., but ultimately, I’m quite certain candidates believe it is actually they who own their resumes – not the agency with whom they interacted, or the company to whom they applied.

Well, guess again.

In the staffing world, corporate recruiters claim ownership of a resume that has entered it’s company’s Applicant Tracking System (“ATS”), cutting off all others’ rights to represent you. Similarly, the first contracted staffing vendor to submit your resume to a corporation generally wins ownership rights, irrespective of your actual desire to be represented by the company of your choice.

So what’s wrong with that?  Well, in theory, there’s nothing wrong with a company owning your resume. They process it, screen you, a hiring manager interviews you, and you get hired. But, what happens when the vendor submits you? Or – worse yet – the company-employee-friend-of-yours forwards your profile to their internal HR corporate staffing group in an attempt to garner the company referral bonus?  Well, now you learn firsthand the pitfalls of “ownership”. Here, the company can move forward. If HR tells its employee they have your resume in their system, no matter how it arrived there or how long ago, the employee will not earn her referral bonus. She’d be upset, as she knows perfectly well it was her referral that prompted any interviews. She knows this resume was sitting untouched in an un-mined ATS. You know you want this employee friend to “own” your resume – but the company says no. At this juncture, you really need not think more about this – as the process will halt without explanation and without recourse. No one will tell you why. The company will not be hiring you. For them, it is best to avoid the internal conflict, so best to avoid you.

The same scenario plays out with the agency who is presenting your resume to their client and your prospective employer. Though you have given this agency permission to be your advocate, and have little to no recollection of ever having submitted your profile to this company’s HR posse through other means, there is now a question of ownership. It’s best to avoid you altogether. Plus, you appear “overly shopped around”, and therefore less desirable.

So, what’s the solution? Heck if I know. I’m just here to turn your world upside down.

I love getting to know my clients!

In recent weeks I’ve spent time reviewing Vivo’s customer portfolio, understanding how these partnerships were created, and defining criteria and methodology by which to measure how well we are servicing each one. My favorite part of this discovery process – meeting our clients face to face.

Last week I joined our Managing Director for meetings and lunch with our client hiring managers at a Silicon Valley healthcare company. This group of senior IT professionals is particularly creative, driven, focused, and believe in the products their company develops. Now I do as well.

My CEO says that she and our clients have a lot in common: they think they’re interesting and she thinks they’re interesting. If you’ve met Vivo, you know this to be absolutely true. We are genuinely intrigued by the individuals and companies we do business with.

Sitting with our client stakeholders last week while openly discussing their business goals, strategies, culture, product, and candidate’s wish list, made me value the understanding of resource needs and how to deliver strategic solutions.  In addition, this company’s meaningful contribution to cancer research and treatment makes me personally invested in their success. Knowing why their interview cycle is so thorough, how they define good communication, where they set their expectations in regard to technical ability, and how individuals should behave in their environment tells me who I am looking for in the candidate pool. I can now translate job requirements to recruiters and candidates in a meaningful, dynamic way. Today, I feel a personal obligation to ensure any candidate I put before them or project deliverables I agree to, will absolutely meet their expectations. I want to help them succeed on their terms.

Now, I realize that we’re not always so fortunate, and that many companies’ VMS provider or their HR, or Procurement departments sit between us and the “client”. When that is the case, those individuals must be considered our clients in every way no matter who the ultimate client may be. The key today is that there can be several individuals representing different departments within a company who have hiring authority or are stakeholders in the staffing process. It makes the process of getting to know our customers a little more challenging. But, a great VMS program manager/ recruiter/ procurement department often knows his or her clients as well as we do. So, we broaden our network and enjoy more relationships with a variety of workforce management personalities. Here again, our common interest – we like their client, and they like their client – helps us build relationships with each member of the hiring chain.

This past weekend, Vivo was able to participate in the annual Capture the Dream- Adopt a Family program for the 2nd time. We were given a few weeks to shop for the necessities that the family needed and delivered the gifts to them in San Leandro. Even though only the mother of the family could attend yesterday’s gift giving, it was still an amazing experience to see the warm smile on her face as she opened a few gifts. Here are just a few photos to share.

This was such a wonderful experience and we can’t wait to help again next year. If you’d like to participate in Capture the Dream’s Adopt a Family, visit their website and “like” their Facebook Page to stay updated on the most recent events that you can get involved in!

Our very own employee, Judy Tang just completed her first half marathon, the Big Sur in Monterey Bay.  However, if you are looking to start small, try out a Turkey Trot that has the option of a 10k or 5k run this Thanksgiving!

Some staff will be participating in Silicon Valley’s 2011 Turkey Trot in San Jose, but you can get involved yourself by signing up today at a local Turkey Trot near you by visiting www.active.com.  Search: Turkey Trot.

Thank you City of Pleasanton for the kind letter.   We are lucky to be a part of this warm and welcoming community.

This past month, I crossed over to the dark side. I went from being the fox to the hen – from the “hall monitor” to the unruly 3^rd grader. Yes, I’ve gone from Vendor Management to Vendor.

Please check back as I reveal what I learn.  I’m excited about this new partnership and helping to expand Vivo’s relationships with our Vendor Managers and Vendor Management Systems. Our CEO, Marilyn Weinstein, says I spend all my time apologizing for their (former!) going-around-the-system ways. In truth, I think I spend my time building bridges and helping us and “them” work toward common goals that benefit client-VMS-agencies in a comprehensive fashion. There IS a circle of life in this process. I believe that if we can value the role one another plays as a symbiotic relationship, then everyone’s business flourishes.

Level the Playing Field.

When I traded in my Vendor Management uniform for a staffing team jersey, I made a switch from umpire to batter-up. I am no longer responsible for enforcing game rules or calling out strikes and fouls on my staffing vendors. From my new vantage point on the field, competing with other experienced agencies, I’m content on positioning myself well at the home plate, making a good play, and hitting a home run candidate hire! I enjoy the competition and I love the game…. Though as a hitter, while rounding the bases, what I find challenging is that we’re not on an even playing field.

This is where I see the issue: whilst IT hiring managers report to their own internal businesses and simply need their project/product staff augmentation needs met; Vivo can diligently provide those resources. The same client, though, has a procurement and/or HR organization that has put a VMS program in place that is designed to meet the client’s over-arching business goals. While it appears easy enough to align individual hiring manager needs with the company-wide workforce management objectives, it rarely is. We all know that within a mid to large corporation there can be an “us versus them” attitude between departments or business, and IT has a reputation for fostering that mindset. It can feel as though we’re a supplier trying to touch all the bases for the hiring manager depending on us without a VMS yelling “you’re out!” mid-way through our sprint.

My CEO is happy to play by all the VMS rules and hired me, in part, to ensure we’re able to do that. The frustration occurs when we become the only supplier working through the VMS while our competitors happily avoid the defined process and see success as a result. What occurs is this: Vivo accepts the system-generated requisition, submits candidates, and communicates with the VMS on-site. Competitors are aware of the reqs and go directly to the hiring managers for a direct fill. At this point the hiring manager pressures the VMS into accepting the pre-identified competitor candidate and awards the rogue vendor a contract and placement. In this scenario, Vivo plays by the rules not knowing the umpire is facilitating a whole other ballgame at the same time. Again, the manager only wants the job filled for his/her IT organization. The VMS reports to procurement or HR and has to capture the req, spend, and headcount. Vivo may follow the VMS rules, but the ultimate hire decision comes from Ms. Manager who may get the req in the VMS system at some point, but enjoys the trusted relationship s/he has with an agency. This leaves me in an odd position. Shall I stick with the VMS and hope that they and their procurement/HR sponsors can force all req’s to be competitively bid through their system? Or should I make sure I foster my own manager relationships with the client knowing those few direct placements are better than none, even if it means annoying the VMS? Where the VMS and client end users have differing agendas, how can we level the playing field and promote true competition for placements?

Tune in to find the answers to these questions in my next blog.